Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon Electrical Problems

Comments

If I understand your post correctly, stevep75, you are headed to your dealership to get this looked into? Keep us updated on your progress on this! If we can be of any assistance, we can be contacted at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN, and a summary of the situation). Sarah, GM Customer Service

1. The passlock sensor is a component within the ignition switch, so you buy the entire switch:

part # 15795321

2. Not sure what you mean by "timing sensor". do you mean camshaft positioning sensor (that is, valve timing) or do you mean something related to ignition timing?

3. Part # 12588097

IF you mean camshaft sensor, that part # is: 12584516

If you mean ignition timing, that is not done by sensor. It works thusly:

IGNITION COIL/MODULE

Each ignition coil/module has the following circuits:An ignition voltage circuitA groundAn ignition control (IC) circuitThe PCM controls the individual coils by transmitting timing pulses on the IC circuit of each ignition coil/module to enable a spark event.

The spark plugs are connected to each coil by a short boot. The boot contains a spring that conducts the spark energy from the coil to the spark plug.

OK, my battery is going dead, 05 Colorado. Has anyone tried keeping a charge on the system, either with a battery charger or a jumper from another car, while changing the battery?

I was considering taking it to the dealer to have a new battery installed but they want $230 to install a new battery. The only reason I would ever take it there is because of all the problems I have read about, and from what I've read and experienced, I don't think I trust them to get it right anyway. When I told them my concerns they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about.

Are you just trying to change the battery, or is the battery going flat overnight? If it is...

The first question is, "Do you have the other symptoms?". Does your driver window still work? Does the fob lock the doors? If the answer is 'no', then you probably have the weird software glitch that no one at Chevy has ever heard about in seven years. If you take it to them, plan on having them replace the battery, the BCM, burn out your blower motor and handing you a bill for a grand to not fix the problem. If this is the case, then the best fix is probably replacing the door/window module, (that Chevy swears has nothing to do with the problem).

If it is just a battery issue, without the window/fob thing, then it may be an unrelated weird electrical problem.

I would check for a battery at Batteries Plus before I'd get scalped by a dealer. The last time I checked (back before I gave up on the Colorado and bought a Toyota), the batteries were only available through a dealer. Perhaps now there are aftermarket sources.

Just remember, "The Chevy Colorado, the gift that keeps on giving... to their service department".

The best advice, sell the truck and never buy another Chevy product.

Look up "Chevy Electrical Problems" in the dictionary and you will see an entry that says, "See hopeless situations".

Seriously, good luck. You're going to need it as long as you own that truck.

There's no reason that you couldn't swap a battery out while keeping the leads live but you'd have to be careful not to touch anything else. Maybe some extra hands?

You can get a battery for the Colorado just about anywhere now. I bought mine at Advance Auto for under $100 and they did the work.

My 9 year old Colorado is a 2004 model with about 130K on it and other than the door locks not working properly, and the body computer crashing twice, it's been a good truck. I'm on my third set of tires which isn't bad for the miles, second battery, and it still drives and runs like a new truck. I won't buy another GM but that's just politics...

There are too many other problems that can occur by changing a battery with the engine running, IMHO. Just insure all electrical devices are off, doors closed, windows up and engine off, than swap the new battery in. Sounds like you are concerned about dropping voltage on the truck and having the door window and locks not work. You can actually bring on this situation with a near shot battery - the low voltage of the old battery pushes a lot more current through the connectors then they were designed for - this includes the fuse connectors in the fuse block, causing them to overheat and lose their gripping. This results in an intermittant connection that can fluctuate when outside temperatures rise and fall. I describe how I fixed this problem on mine in posts 426 and 438 in this forum - check them out - not elegant, but I haven't touched it since then and it still works fine - over 2 years now! None of the other "magic"cures I have read make any logical sense. Good luck!

As a GM mechanic, the only thing I was ever concerned about when changing a battery is losing the customer pre-sets on the radio. I changed the battery in my 2005 Colorado using the normal method and didn't experience any window or lock problems. However I had that problem in the past and lubed and cleaned the connections on the door lock/window module.

It is possible to change the battery while the vehicle is running. Just remove the positive post, (being careful not to touch ground with the battery post removal tool), and wrap it in a cloth or duct tape and place aside. The ground you don't have to worry about. Remove the battery and install new battery and reverse the procedure. If I were to do this, (and have done it in the past), I would leave the headlights on so the alternator would be supplying some current to the vehicle (to lessen voltage spikes).

As a side note, apparently Colorado trucks are not the only one with window/lock problems. A friend of mine had a 2010 Dodge Charger that the right window quit working. As I couldn't troubleshoot it right away, he went for a few months without it working. When he changed his battery, it started working again. Interesting stuff.

The battery was very low this morning, enough to reset the clock. It barely started but everything worked so I took it to Sears and had them drop a new battery in it. I got lucky, I guess. Everything works OK for now but I will keep this forum bookmarked for future reference, I will probably need it.

I'm going to give you ALL a 10 cent fix to a $$$ problem. The door actuator switches on the Chevy Colorado, Canyon, I thin Yukon and perhaps other models don't actuate properly when the door is closed. The "door open" warning on the dash panel is displayed, the bells ring and the automatic locks try to click to lock, time and time againg ~ the power windows work erratically or not at all. Well that's the problem... Now for the FIX.Take a 5 cent stick-on tab about 1/2" wide 1/8" high (something that you might use as pads for a table lamp, etc.) and stick them on the metal door side opposite the door switch. Place one on all 4 doors of the vehicle. Close all the doors and watch as the warning lights go out on the dash ~ the windows work and the alarm bells cease to ring. Voila, your car is fixed.

It sounds like I have the same issue. I have a 2005 GMC Canyon. When my battery died, I replaced it, but the driver's side window does not work and the power locks do not work. The fuses seem to be okay. Where do I find this relay you are speaking about? Please be specific and forgive my ignorance. I am assuming that the simple tapping of this relay is just temporary fix?...assuming it does work on mine. Thanks for your help.

Well strider1618, the post before yours is really not related to this window/door lock problem. Remove your door switch module and remove the plugs. Smear di-electric grease (found in a parts store), on the plugs. Re-plug the door switch module back in. Hopefully this fixed it as it fixed it for me. There is a fuse that feeds power to the window module. I understand there are problems with the contacts mating to the fuse. In other words, 12v power is lost from the fuse to the module. To troubleshoot this power feed problem, you would have to get access to a wiring diagram. You can sign up for a 1 month (or 3 years), membership to http://www.eautorepair.net/, (Mitchell on Demand) for a minimum of $16.00 1 month or abt $25 for 1 year, or 39 for 4 years. Then you could print out all the diagrams and repair info you need.

Its fairly easy to remove the door/window module on the drivers door. I believe you have to remove 1 or 2 phillips screws and pop a couple clips on the module to release it from the door trim panel. No need to remove the door panel.

Bitsmasher, Your repair and diagnosis in Message # 638 was perfect and is the correct way to troubleshoot 12v feeds. For people having these problems, see message # 638 before replacing the door module. Bitsmasher is exactly correct.

Have a 2011 Canyon and on hard turns or bumpy roads the electric door locks will cycle open/shut and the seat belt warning audio signal will chime, even witht he seat belt buckled. I have not found a service bulleting on this, and the dealer service advisor says he has never heard of this problemf. Anyone else experienced this and is there a known solution?